Kheer Bhawani Mela in Jammu and Kashmir Explained

Kheer Bhawani Mela

The Kheer Bhawani Mela is an important annual religious festival of the Kashmiri Pandit community, celebrated at the Mata Kheer Bhawani Temple in Tulmulla, Ganderbal district of Jammu and Kashmir. It is observed on Jyeshtha Ashtami and is dedicated to Mata Ragnya Devi, a form of Goddess Durga. Devotees offer kheer, milk, flowers and prayers at the sacred spring inside the temple complex.

The festival holds deep cultural and emotional significance for Kashmiri Pandits, especially after their migration from the Valley in the 1990s. It symbolizes faith, identity, memory and return to roots. The mela is also seen as a symbol of Kashmiriyat and communal harmony, as local people and authorities help in its smooth conduct. For competitive exams, it is important under Art and Culture, Society, and Jammu and Kashmir affairs.